HOMEMADE ESPRESSO DRINKS

This is from Meemo's Kitchen

You can make double strength coffee
if you don't have an espresso machine

Make Espresso Drinks At Home

You will need:
*An Espresso Machine.
Any espresso machine will work. Quality matters, and quality comes with a price. If this is something you are doing for fun then any machine will work.

*Espresso coffee, ground for an espresso machine. Starbucks sells espresso and they will grind it for you.

*Milk, your choice, whole, skim, 2%, soy

*A pitcher to steam milk

*Thermometer

*Spoon

*Flavored syrups

*Mocha powder

Starbucks sells their mocha powder around the holidays. It isn't the same stuff they use though. You can get actual bags of Mocha Powder on e-bay.

*Caramel Sauce

*Whipped Cream

*Assorted Coffee Sprinkles, Cinnamon, Nutmeg (optional)

*Hot/Cold Cups

*Lids

*Straws
You can buy the hot cups/cold cups, lids and straws from any bulk store like Costco if you prefer these to real cups.

Tips for Making Great Coffee Use the right proportion of coffee to water. Use two tablespoons of ground coffee (10 grams) for each six fluid ounces (180 milliliters) of water. If coffee brewed this way is too strong add a little hot water to your cup of brewed coffee. The shorter the brewing process, the finer the grind.

Coffee ground for an espresso machine should be very fine, the brew cycle is only 19 to 22 seconds long. With a coffee press, the coffee should be coarse ground. The water and coffee are in direct contact for about four minutes.

Use fresh, cold water heated to just off the boil A cup of coffee is 98 percent water. Your water should be clean, fresh, and free of impurities. Water heated to just before a boil (195° to 205° F or 90° to 96° C) is perfect for extracting the coffee's flavor.

Use freshly ground coffee. Store coffee in an opaque, airtight container at room temperature. For the best results, coffee should be ground just before brewing. Whole bean coffee stays fresh longer because there is less surface area exposed to oxygen.

Steaming Milk and Making Foam
The instruction will vary depending on your espresso machine. Be sure you know how to use your espresso machine and how to turn your steam wand on and off.

*Pour milk into pitcher, leave about 3 inches room at top for foam.
*Place thermometer in pitcher.
*Place end of steam wand so that tip will be completely submerged in the milk.
*Turn steam wand on.
* Keep the steam wand near the bottom of the pitcher until the thermometer reads around 120 degrees (Fahrenheit).
* Pull the pitcher down so that the tip of the steam wand is very close to the surface of the milk. It should start to make a frothing noise- this means it is making foam.
* When the thermometer reads 160 degrees, shut the steam wand off.
* Let the milk cool and separate for 30 seconds before pouring.
*If you are making a cappuccino, or if you like extra foam on your lattes, leave extra room in the pitcher and keep the wand near the surface of the milk longer.

*Tip: Thoroughly clean off your steam wand after every use.

The Espresso Drinks
The following recipes call for a 16 ounce cup. If you are using a 12 ounce or smaller cup, use 1 ounce of espresso.

Latte
Steam milk
Brew 2 ounces of espresso
Pour espresso into cup.
Fill ¾ of the cup with steamed milk
Fill remainder with foam

*Tip: For extra flavor, sprinkle with cinnamon or nutmeg; or top it with whipped cream.

Vanilla Latte
Steam milk
Brew 2 ounces of espresso
Pour espresso into cup
Pour 3 teaspoons of vanilla syrup into cup
Fill ¾ of the cup with steamed milk
Fill remainder with foam

*There is less foam in a Latte than a Cappuccino

Cappuccino
Steam milk
Brew 2 ounces of espresso
Pour espresso into cup
Fill cup halfway with steamed milk
Fill remainder with foam

*Cappuccino has more foam than a Latte

Caramel Macchiato
Steam milk
Brew 2 ounces of espresso
Pour 2 teaspoons of vanilla syrup into cup
Fill ¾ of the cup with steamed milk
Place a dollop of foam on top of milk
Pour espresso over foam
Top with swirls of caramel sauce

*The espresso goes on top of the foam in a Caramel Macchiato.

Café Mocha
Steam milk
Brew 2 ounces of espresso
Pour espresso into cup
Pour 3 teaspoons of mocha powder into cup
Fill ¾ of cup with steamed milk
Top off with foam or whipped cream

Hot Chocolate
Steam milk
Pour 3 teaspoons of mocha powder into cup
Pour 2 teaspoons of vanilla syrup into cup
Fill cup ¾ with steamed milk
Top off with whipped cream or foam

ICED DRINKS Using any of the above recipes, fill cup with cold milk and ice in place of the steamed milk and foam.